ANN ARBOR, Mich. – In less than 24 hours, The Big House will be the place to be as the No. 4 ranked Michigan Wolverines will take on the unranked Michigan State Spartans Saturday, but we all know rankings don’t seem to matter in these rivalry games.
Ann Arbor is expected to have 200,000 people this weekend, with some attending the game while others will be in attendance just to tailgate and take in the atmosphere.
And while you might think there is a lot of bad blood, Local 4 saw more fun and camaraderie than you’d ever expect as there were maize and blue beside green and white along Huron Street in Ann Arbor Friday (Oct. 28) morning as the red, white and blue as its true commonality for the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.
“Go blue,” said one of the ROTC members.
The ROTC runners left East Lansing at 2 a.m.
“Go green, go white,” said another ROTC member.
The members ran the first five miles and then relayed the game balls during the remaining 59 for charity.
The Alex Powell Special Needs program, started at both schools before he passed away 11 years ago.
Read: ‘We’re going to leave them no mercy’: Will Michigan State make Michigan football eat those words?
Runners Wiley Gilliam and Vincent Motowski say they’re proving football rivalries need only exist on the gridiron.
“We got this game coming up this weekend, this big game, so of course, there’s a little bit of tension in the air while we’re doing this, but we’re able to set those differences aside because we’re out here for a really good cause,” said Gilliam.
“As a community, we’re able to take the momentum of such a historical rivalry and use that for something better, getting together and remembering Alex Powell and what he stood for and his legacy,” said Motowski.
Drew Feyerick was picking up his tailgate refreshments, including a keg pump.
“I went here,” said Feyerick. “My daughter is a freshman here, so we’re having a big tailgate tomorrow, and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
A Bernedoodle named Henry was wearing a Spartans sweater.
Rod Meloni: “Nobody’s given you any trouble, have they?
“No, I’ve had a lot of go greens,” said a woman.
The Tri Delta sorority’s tailgate was already underway.
We started yesterday,” said Sarah Lindenbach of Delta Delta Delta sorority. “It’s Halloweekend vs. MSU.”
